Pequannock's Campbell commits to UConn

Although the Pequannock High School football program has made major strides toward respectability in recent years, it hasn't exactly been a hotbed for NCAA Division I recruiters.

"We haven't had a long history of having Division I products," Pequannock head coach Ed Kopp said.

So when some major colleges came calling to ask about tight end Ian Campbell, Kopp was ready with open arms.

"I knew based on his size that he would get some looks, but I thought more like a Colonial League or Northeast Conference school," Kopp said.

However, ever since he was in eighth grade, Campbell had loftier goals.

"When I was in eighth grade, my dad wanted me to go to a private school," the 6-foot-7, 225-pound Campbell said. "I said, 'No, I wanted to go to Pequannock.' We had a friend who said that I could get noticed no matter where I was playing. He told my dad that the colleges would find me."

So Campbell decided to go to Pequannock and take his chances with being recruited.

"It was always my dream to play college football," Campbell said. "I remember being a kid and watching college football games on Saturday and saying that I wanted to be like them. I was a big Alabama fan because I had sisters who went there. But I really wanted to be a Division I player."

Campbell's hopes became a reality last week, when he gave a non-binding commitment to the University of Connecticut, one of the first schools to offer Campbell a scholarship. Campbell also fielded offers from Temple, Virginia, Boston College and Rutgers.

Campbell said that he started to get feelers from colleges when he was a sophomore, when Rutgers invited him to their spring game, then a host of regular-season contests.

"It was a really cool experience," Campbell said. "I was really shocked when I started to get offers."

Kopp knew that Campbell did his due diligence to get recognized.

"He went to a lot of camps at Boston College, Rutgers and Temple," Kopp said. "A lot of schools then started to like him. UConn was the first one to offer him. The offer was there on the table, but he hadn't visited yet."

Campbell was then sold on the Huskies' grid program once he took the journey north to Storrs.

"The facilities and the campus are very nice," Campbell said. "All of the coaches were very nice to me. I hadn't met any of the players yet, but once I saw the facility, I knew it was the right place. It was a pretty quick process. I waited three weeks after they offered, then I told the coaches I was coming. I felt it was the right place for me. My parents thought it was a good fit for me."

With the commitment, Campbell becomes the first Pequannock product to commit to an NCAA Division I school since famed quarterback Chris Wispelwey went to Duke in 2000.

Wispelwey led the Golden Panthers to two state championships in 1999 and 2000.

"It means a lot to me," Campbell said. "I know that Pequannock doesn't get a lot of big-time players. But this proves that it doesn't matter where you're from. You can make it wherever you are."

Campbell is a two-way lineman for the Golden Panthers, playing tight end and defensive end. He might be moved to another position at UConn, but he would prefer to remain a tight end.

"I think I can play tight end," Campbell said. "But if they want to move me to become a tackle, I can be a tackle. But I'd rather be a tight end."

Kopp knows the type of impact having a Division I product has on his program.

"It definitely changes things in terms of our younger kids in town, the ones who are on the fence, thinking about playing football," Kopp said. "Right now, I just need Ian to carry the team a little bit."

Campbell is a big target with good hands and quick feet for his size. He caught seven passes in one game last year against Mountain Lakes and ended the year with 33 catches for 375 yards and four touchdowns for the Golden Panthers, who finished the 2013 season with a 4-6 record.